Insulating siding and the like and its manufacture



`une 20, 1950 M. G. oREn LY 2,512,371

INSULATING sIDING AND THE LIKE Amp ITs MANUFACTURE Filed July 25, 1946 Patented June 20, 1950 INSULATING SIDING AND THE LIKE AND ITS MANUFACTUREl Martin G. OReilly, Chicago, lll., assignor to Ford Roofing Products Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application July 25, 1946, Serial No. 686,663

Claims.

This invention relates to insulating siding and the like. Among other objects the invention aims to provide an improved insulating siding having a design on its face simulating masonry, wood siding or the like.

The nature of the invention may be readily understood by reference to one illustrative product and its method of manufacture described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the surface of a siding panel bearing a design embossed thereon to simulate masonry in the form of the conventional brick pattern;

Fig. 2 is a cross section on an enlarged scale of the panel taken on the plane 2-2 of Fig. 1.; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section similar to that of Fig. 2 on the same scale as Fig. 2, showing a modified construction.

Siding and the like of the type here involved is characterized by a panel or board waterproofed with asphalt and impressed on its face with an indented pattern simulating a Wall surface such as brick with mortar joints between them. The surfacing on the panel comprises an asphalt coat,- ing having granular mineral material of an appropriate color partly embedded therein. The indented grooves or lines are formed by various means such as by fully embedding or submerging the granular material in the coating so as to leave visible only the black asphalt. Such lines mai7 if desired be surfaced with a contrastingly colored mineral material. However, black mortar simulatinglines are acceptable, and most siding is thus finished. The panel material heretofore used has comprised vegetable fiber board about 1/2 in thickness. These, while called insulating board have relatively low thermal insulating eiiciency and in fact do not provide sufficient thermal insulation for building walls.

The more efficient thermal insulating material such as fiber glass or the like is relatively soft and does not lend itself to practical fabricating methods for siding of the character above described. For example, it cannot withstand the pressure which it is necessary to apply to the lproduct to imbed or submerge the granular surfacing material at the grooves or lines.

I have discovered that insulating panels of mineral liber, such as fiber glass or the like may be adapted for siding of the character in question by reinforcing the panel opposite the indented pattern, in this case the longitudinal or (CL e-5) continuous mortar lines between the respective courses of masonry, so that the material can withstand the grooving pressure without crushing. The nature of the inventiton is illustrated in connection with the formation of panels of ber glass simulating on their outer surface a brick pattern wherein the indented lines or grooves represent mortar joints, but it will be understood that the invention is also applicable to similar soft fiber `board and to other indented or impressed designs or patterns. Fiber glass board is available in various thicknesses. Board of 1/2" in thickness provides eicient insulation. It weighs about 8 pounds per cubic foot. The board is formed with a minute amount of binding material which is concentrated at the points where the individual fibers cross each other. This serves (without reducing insulating efficiency) to stiifen the board sucientlyrfor ordinary handling, and makes it possible to form boards or panels to uniform size and thickness.` Such binder still leaves the material relatively soft and does not reinforce it sufliciently for the embossing'above referred to.`

To adapt them for siding the panels of ber glass board l0 are reinforced by applying to the board where the longitudinal mortar lines Il are subsequently to be formed, a limited quantity of iiuid ber stiffening material such as a relatively high melting point asphalt. This asphalt is more in the nature of a coating asphalt than that used for saturating purposes, so that it will not spread throughout the board but will remain localized in the region of its application, and after cooling will stiifen. the fibers to reinforce the board 1ocally inthe region underlying the pattern later to be applied. Applied to the ordinary board heretofore used, such asphalt would congeal and not penetrate to any substantial depth. However, by using a material such as fiber glass with a very low specific heat, the asphalt does not congeal or chill on contact with the board but remains suiiiciently fluid to penetrate readily. In its fluid condition the asphalt is aided by the capillarity of the ber' glass board to penetrate quickly through or substantially through the board beffore it can congeal. Since the liber glass is not.v

of vegetable character the fluidity of the reinforcing asphalt can be substantially increased by heating it to temperatures which would char vegetable ber board heretofore used. If necessary the board itself could be heated without damage, to facilitate the travel of the asphalt through .the board. The asphalt apparently follows'the liber and when it hardens forms a still' asiaefri reinforcing skeleton l'2 under the regions to be embossed with the mortar lines so that the board does not crush substantially under indenting pressure. The density of the reinforced portions of the material is substantially less than what it would be if all interstices were filled with asphalt, and it seems likely therefore that the interstices of the treated material are not completely lled With asphalt.

The reinforcing asphalt is applied along narrow lines to limit lateral spreading. In its fluid condition gravity doubtless aids in causing it to travel through the board rather than laterally. Its amount is limited to what is necessary for forming a. reinforced region under or opposite the areas where the indented lines are to be formed. The manner of application may vary.

It may be flowed on in heated, highly uid con' dition from a narrow nozzle or other means or applied under pressure in a fine jet.

If the reinforcing asphalt be applied from the side of the board on which the lines are subsequently to be impressed, the reinforced areas will taper as at I3 toward the back of the board (see Fig. 2). This seems a preferred arrangement since it provides maximum Support resisting the pressureof the grooving roll and the maximum reinforced area through'which attaching nails may be driven. The reinforcing may if desired be applied from the other side of the board or from both sides, as shown in Fig. 3, to provide reinforced regions M having a wide portion along both faces. This, however, involves additional complications in fabrication which are not ordinarily justified.

At some stage priorto completion of the panel and preferably before application of the asphalt, the panel is rabbeted 'as at I6 and l1 along its side and end edges to provide a ship-lap construction (see Fig. 2)'. Of course the panel may be initialiymolded with ship-lap edges, but this would require special fabrication and cancel the advantages inherent in using a stock or standard board.

Y The surfaces of the board and the rabbeted edges are given a very thin application of Waterproofing asphalt I8. The specifications of this asphalt are'well known. Although having a lower melting point than coating asphalt, it provides a h'ard dry surface which even in hot weather will not cause the layer of coating asphalt to slip on the board. The amount of Waterproofing asphalt applied is so small that it cannot substantially penetrate the board and simply provides a tough Waterproof surface to the board. It completely penetrates the surface (though in a very thin 'hnl leaving the original texture 'of the surface to which the coating asphalt on the outer face of the board can bond or key.

Later a `*layer i9 of coating asphalt is applied to the lupperfor outer face of the board. This cannot substantially penetrate the board because of` the intervening waterproofing, but simply bonds mechanically to the waterproofed surface ofthe board. A layer 20 of granular surfacing material is thenfapplied to the coating While the latter is still soft, and is partially embedded therein by pressure (e. g. rolls) to anchor the granules without, however, submerging them. rrhen while the asphalt coating is still soft the board is indented or impressed, preferably by an intaglio roll, which imbeds the granules at the lines i i so as to expose the coating asphalt, in this case .to simulate a mortar line. The indenting operation displaces some of the coating laterally to form upwardly extending beads which give the appearance of depth to provide texture or shadows, and in the case of mortar lines, to simulate raked mortar joints. The reinforcing asphalt i2 having previously hardened prevents crushing or deformation of the board under the intaglio roll. This roll simultaneously forms the transverse mortar lines 22, but these are so short as not to require reinforcing of the board opposite or under them. The reinforcing which lies at both ends of each line 22 contribute to prevent crushing of the board along lines 22.

The reinforcing also provides rm regions through which attaching nails may be driven in applying the panels. The improved board is substantially lighter in Weight (and correspondingly more eicient as an insulation) and therefore reduces the load on the supporting structure. Its slight flexibility greatly simplifies application, since most surfaces or walls to which the panels are to be applied are not true and require warping and slight bending of the board. Flexibility makes it possible thus to form flush joints between adiacent panels. Stiff or rigid board tends to offset at the points between panels.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the details of the illustrative board or its method of manufacture. Moreover it is not indispensable that all features of the invention be used conjointly since various features may be used to advantage in different combinations and sub-combinations.

yHaving described my invention, I claim:

l. The method of making insulating siding which comprises applying to a ber glass board molten asphalt along lines coinciding with a pattern later to be impressed in a coating on the board, said board being too soft to withstand alone the pressure applied to impress said pattern and having such low specic heat as not to congeal the asphalt until said asphalt has cornpletely penetrated the board, said asphalt being of such high melting point that it would congeal beforepenetrating entirely through a vegetable ber board of the same thickness, limiting the application of said asphalt so that it penetrates the board only in the regions of the pattern to beapplied, appiying a layer of coating asphalt to a face of the board, partly imbedding granular mineral Vmaterial in said coating, and then after the asphalt first applied has hardened in the regions of said pattern impressing said layer with said pattern.

2, The method of making coated insulating siding from a relatively soft mineral fiber board including vimpressing a pattern in the coa-ting on said board, said board being normally too soft to withstand the `pressure required to impress said pattern, which method comprises applying high melting point asphalt heated to a fluid condition to such board along lines representing said pattern, controlling such application to cause penetration of such asphalt through the board along said lines with minimum lateral spreading thereof in the board, said board having a low specific heat to permit complete penetration thereof of said asphalt before congeallng of the asphalt, applying a surface layer to said board comprising a coatin-g of asphalt having granular mineral material partly imbedded therein, and after the asphalt in the pattern lines has hardened impressing said pattern lines in said surface layer.

3. .insulating siding of the character described comprising in combination a body of relatively soft fiber glass insulating board, said board carrying on its outer surface a layer comprising a coating of asphalt having granular mineral material partly embedded therein, said layer being indented along lines representing a pattern, said board being completely saturated from one face to the opposite face with high melting point asphalt in regions underlying said indented lines to reinforce the board to support the pressure necessary to indent said lines, said saturation with asphalt being confined to said regions subjected to said pressure and being elsewhere unsaturated and too soft to support said pressure.

4. Insulating siding of the character described comprising in combination a body of relatively soft ber glass insulating board of lower specific heat than vegetable ber board and having substantially no water absorption, said board carrying on its outer surface a layer comprising a coating of asphalt having granular mineral material partly embedded therein, said layer being indented along lines representing a pattern, said board being completely saturated from one face to the opposite face with high melting point asphalt in regions underlying said indented lines to reinforce the board to support the pressure necessary to indent said lines, said saturation with asphalt being confined to said regions subjected to said pressure and being elsewhere unsaturated and too soft to support said pressure, said board being of such low specic heat as not to congeal said asphalt until it has completely penetrated the thickness of the board in said regions.

5. Insulating siding of the character described comprising in combination a body of relatively soft ber glass insulating board, said board carrying on its outer surface a layer comprising a coating of asphalt having granular mineral material partly embedded therein, said layer being indented along lines representing a pattern, said board being completely saturated from one face to the opposite face with asphalt of such high melting point that it would congeal before penetrating entirely through a vegetable ber board of the same thickness, said saturation being conned to the regions underlying said indented lines to reinforce the board to support the pressure necessary to indent said lines, said board being elsewhere unsaturated and too soft to support said pressure.

MARTIN G. OREIILY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,170,534 MacNutt Aug. 22, 1939 2,210,321 Knoblock Aug. 6, 1940 2,266,746 Elmendorf Dec. 23, 1941 2,301,215 Koch Nov. 10, 194.2l 2,317,926 Lindahl Apr. 27, 1943 

